IBM Enhances Its WebSphere Application Server
IBM Technology Doubles Performance of Apache-Based HTTP Services on Windows NT
San Francisco (October 14, 1998) – IBM today announced that it has extended the HTTP services in IBM WebSphere* Application Servers in the areas of performance, security and platform support by adding new functionality to the HTTP services that are packaged with WebSphere and are based on the Apache HTTP Server. The enhancements allow Web masters and Web developers to benefit from traditional IBM strengths, such as enterprise-level performance, reliability and security.
Today’s announcements include technology developed by IBM Research that boosts the performance of HTTP services in the IBM WebSphere Application Server on Windows NT** by up to 100% and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) support that provides customers with the security necessary to operate a Web site that can handle sensitive information, such as financial transactions. In addition, IBM announced a port of the Apache HTTP Server to the AS/400* operating system. The AS/400 port will be offered to the Apache Group through the Open Source model.
“IBM is committed to bringing the advantages and benefits of enterprise-strength technology to all Web builders and developers,” said Paraic Sweeney, vice president, IBM Web Server Marketing. “Our delivery of value-add technology for Apache and IBM WebSphere customers, such as performance boosting on Windows NT, as well as contributions to the Apache Project, bring companies the functionality they need to create powerful e-business solutions.”
IBM has also contributed a number of enhancements to the Apache Server Project, mainly for the new Apache port to Windows NT. The enhancements improve the stability and security of the Apache HTTP Server on the Windows NT platform.
The Fast Response Cache Accelerator (FRCA) technology, developed by IBM Research, doubles the performance of HTTP services in WebSphere on Windows NT, according to lab tests done by SPEC (The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation). The IBM WebSphere product team optimized FRCA for the HTTP services packaged with the WebSphere Application Server. In a recent SPEC study the Apache-based WebSphere HTTP services, running on an IBM Netfinity* 7000 and utilizing FRCA, performed nearly twice as fast as Microsoft IIS, also running on an IBM Netfinity 7000.
IBM is also offering SSL security support for Apache-based HTTP services in WebSphere Application Server for secure e-business transactions. The level of encryption the SSL support offers (information can be encrypted for up to 128 bits) is used today by Fortune 500 companies, including major financial institutions, to transfer financial transactions and other sensitive data, such as payroll, over the Web.
In addition, IBM will make available an AS/400 port of the Apache HTTP server, to offer customers a wider choice of deployment platform options. The open source code for the core technology of the AS/400 port beta will be available from IBM in November. Subsequently, IBM will offer the AS/400 port to the Apache Group, in keeping with the Open Source approach.
Both the FRCA and SSL technologies from IBM will be available at no additional charge as part of all editions of the IBM WebSphere Application Servers. The technologies will be released in the next version of WebSphere Application Server before the end of the year. The FRCA technology will also be used to boost the performance of the HTTP Server for OS/390*, and will be available as part of OS/390 Version 2 Release 7 in March of 1999.
Source: IBM